Lee, Ko runs against the buzzawatt of fourball

Minjee Lee and Jin Young Ko leave the 18th green after a 58 shoot in Michigan.

When you shoot 58 in your final round and take only one blow to the runaway leader, you just have to take your hat off and congratulate your opponent.

So it was for Minjee Lee and LPGA Tour teammate Jin Young Ko today in the inaugural Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational when they could barely put a break in the break for champions Jasmine Suwannapura and Cydney Clanton.

Perth & # 39; s Lee and Korean Ko were spectacular in the final round, great collaboration for 12 birdies in the Fourball format, enough to close in one line when they finished with the leaders early in the last nine.

But that only served to boost the Thai-American combination, especially Suwannapura, which collapsed a barely credible series of long birdie putts to become safe.

"I couldn't ask for a better partner," said Suwannapura, who earned her second career victory.

"Everything may have gone a bit slow on the front nine, I feel a bit busy. But … we started making some birdies and keeping the game going. It's great today."

Suwannapura and Clanton & # 39; s together 59 left them at 27 under, six free from Lee and Ko, thanks to six straight birdies to close their star performance.

Both have amazing perseverance stories to tell, with Clanton missing her full LPGA Tour card with just $ 8 last year, while Suwannapura is on the comeback trail after having suffered a broken back during the Kingsmill Classic 2016.

Lee, who shot eight of himself today, was full of praise for the winners and the "fun" new tournament.

"We both certainly played better than the last time we played four balls (two days earlier)," said the Aussie world No.4

"We just had a better rhythm out there. I think we just fed each other.

"Jin Young had so many birdies today, so I tried to keep up with as many things as possible. We just had a great day."

Ko, the world number 2, said she was proud of their score and hopes to build this momentum in the Evian Championship and Women's British Open for the next two weeks.

But Ko said she was thinking in Michigan this year.

"Hit my first time in the 60s, in four, playing really great with Minjee. We really had a great time. I want to play with Minjee next year," said Ko

Hallf of Famer Karrie Webb was the second best Aussie to make the cut and eventually ended in a share of the 27th with the Colombian Mariajo Uribe after a closing 66.

Others were Robyn Choi, alongside Jaclyn Lee in a 36 share, while Sarah Kemp and Xiyu Lin headed for the 39th.

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